The Art of Braiding
by AnastaziaDanielle
Summary: Braiding has great significance in the life of a dwarf. AU Post BoFA
1. Courting

Disclaimer: The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson and his Company, not to me.

Author's Note: This was written for LadyWallace who asked for a story where Kili braids Tauriel's hair. Enjoy, my friend!

The Art of Braiding

Part 1: Courting

Kili laughed as he followed the red-haired she-elf through the woods surrounding the rebuilt city of Dale, his bow in hand. Tauriel was gliding almost effortlessly through the forest with her bow as she threw glances over her shoulder to ensure that Kili was still following her.

"Come, Master Dwarf," she smiled. "Keep up."

A playful growl escaped Kili's lips only drawing a smile from the beautiful elf. Effortlessly, she swung herself up into the branches a nearby tree and situated herself against its wide trunk. "This is the perfect place to wait for game," she announced as she waited for Kili to join her.

With a grunt, Kili pulled himself up beside Tauriel and placed his bow across his lap. It amazed him how she could still look so absolutely perfect after trekking through the forest for nearly an hour. Each strand of her long red hair was still in place around the smooth, pale skin of her face. He felt sweaty and he knew his dark hair was in disarray.

"Thorin will be glad if we bring down enough for a feast," Kili informed Tauriel. "Perhaps it will help you win his favor."

She shook her head. "I doubt anything will help me win Thorin's favor. He only tolerates me because of Lake-Town."

"You mean when you saved my life," Kili smiled and gave her a besotted look that made the she-elf's heart lurch and the tips of her ears turn pink. Leaning forward, Kili cupped her cheek with his callused palm and pressed his lips softly against hers.

She returned his kiss tentatively, a soft moan escaping her lips as Kili's hand slid to her waist and he deepened the kiss. Tauriel, though many years older than Kili, did not have much experience with romance. She had busied herself first as a guard in Thranduil's court and then as the captain of his guard. There had been little time for romance. Kili, however, had somehow managed to capture her heart. When he kissed her, all else faded away; she could focus on nothing but the dark-haired dwarf prince.

"Tauriel," he murmured against her silken lips, "you taste as sweet as honeysuckle, its nectar as sweet as anything I have ever tasted before."

She giggled against him and leaned her forehead against his. "Your words are as smooth as silk, Dwarf Prince."

Kili's hand that wasn't resting against her waist moved upward to tangle in her long red tresses as he angled in for another kiss. This one was more heated and demanding, and Tauriel found herself moaning into his mouth. The sound surprised her and she pulled back, her heart pounding in her chest. The feelings Kili produces in her were exciting and new, but also frightening.

Kili looked concerned. He cupped her face once again and smoothed the rough pad of his thumb over her lower lip. "Are you all right?" he asked, his brow furrowed and his dark eyes boring into hers.

"Yes," she managed to answer, breathless. "The things you make me feel….," she began before she trailed off.

Kili's lips quirked upward in a proud grin which made Tauriel's cheeks warm with embarrassment. "Is that so, m' lady?" he asked cheekily.

Before Tauriel could think of a suitable response, thunder rumbled loudly overhead and both elf and dwarf looked up in surprise. They had been so caught up in one another that neither had noticed the storm clouds building in the blue sky.

"We should find shelter," Tauriel said reluctantly, not eager to leave Kili's side.

He began to climb down from the tree. "There are some caves near here. I'm sure we can find a place to offer cover and stay warm and until the storm passes." Kili threw a wink up at his elf.

Tauriel followed him quickly to the ground and allowed him to lead the way to the caves of which he spoke. The rain poured until both were soaking wet, their hair plastered to their heads. The wind whipped the branches of the bushes and trees which caught at their hair and their clothing. By the time they reached a rocky overhang where they might find shelter, both elf and dwarf looked a mess.

They huddled back against the rock out of the rain, shoulders touching. "I do not think we will be catching any game today," Tauriel announced regretfully.

"Nay," Kili agreed, "although I do get to have you all to myself for a while." He raised an eyebrow rakishly at her and Tauriel found that she had to suppress a giggle.

"That is scandalous, Master Dwarf," she chided, her eyes twinkling with mirth. Tauriel had found that with Kili she had the freedom to laugh and show emotion, a side of herself she did not realize had even existed until she had met him.

"Aye, and so is this," he announced, tangling his fingers in her knotted tresses and pulling her forward for a sultry kiss.

So involved were they in one another, neither elf nor dwarf noticed when the rain stopped and the thunder faded away into the distance. Tauriel finally pulled back, breathless, her hair in tangles around her face. "Kili, we should head back. Your brother will be expecting us."

The dwarf prince groaned, but nodded. His eyes studied his she-elf and then he chuckled. "We cannot take you back looking like this. Uncle will think I've ravaged you."

Tauriel could feel her ears heat and knew her cheeks were probably pink. "Kili," she protested.

"Here, turn around," he commanded.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"So I can braid your hair," Kili replied, grasping her shoulder and turning her body.

Tauriel obeyed, warmth uncurling in her stomach as she felt Kili's fingers thread through her long, red locks. He worked his fingers through the thick tresses until he had untangled the knots and removed the bits of twigs and leaves. Then he began to braid, his fingers sure and steady.

Tauriel reached up to feel what he was doing, but he swatted her fingers away. "I'm not finished yet," he informed her.

"I can braid my own hair, Kili," she protested.

"Let me, Tauriel," he told her, his voice taking on a serious tone she'd never heard him use before.

Her hands fell into her lap and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of Kili's large yet capable hands weaving her silken strands. Every time his fingers brushed her scalp, she felt her heart leap in her chest and her stomach quivered. It took him quite a while, but when he was finished, he reached around her and took one of her hands in his. Lifting it gently, he raised it to her head and ran her slender fingers over the braids that crisscrossed her head.

"Kili," she breathed, "It feels so intricate." Tauriel couldn't wait to return to her quarters so that she could peer into her looking glass and see the braids for herself.

"Braiding is very important for us dwarves," he explained, his voice taking on a nervous edge that piqued Tauriel's curiosity. "These braids," he continued, still smoothing her fingers over their intricate design, "tell others that you are courting and that no other should approach you with that intent." He stopped when he heard Tauriel's quick intake of breath. Nerves coiled in his stomach, yet he continued. "I want to court you, Tauriel."

The she-elf turned to face Kili and suppressed a grin at the anxiety that radiated off of the young dwarf prince before her. She cupped his face in her smooth, slender hands and smiled. "I would be honored to have you court me, Kili, Son of Dis."

A relieved noise escaped Kili's lips as he leaned forward and claimed her mouth with his own. "You have made me a very happy dwarf, Tauriel," he sighed against her lips.

Tauriel didn't respond with words. Instead, she tangled her hands in his dark hair and drew him into another heated kiss.

Author's Note:

I have read a few stories in which dwarven braids signified courting, so I used the idea. I can't remember which stories they were or I would site them as a reference.


	2. Betrothal

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit. It belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson.

Author's Note: This one is for LadyWallace.

The Art of Braiding

Part 2: Betrothal

Kili glanced over to the red-haired elf riding her graceful white horse at his side. The mid-afternoon sun highlighted her smooth porcelain skin and shimmered on her silky red hair. Dwarven courting braids crisscrossed her head elegantly. Tauriel had studied Kili's handiwork carefully until she had been able to reproduce the braids herself and then to his delight she wore them every day. Kili loved her so much that his heart ached at times.

Tauriel looked to her left to find Kili staring at her and a smile quirked her lips. "Yes, master dwarf?" she asked playfully.

"The afternoon sun is awfully hot," Kili began, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief.

The she-elf quirked an eyebrow at the young dwarf next to her. "I'm surprised that a seasoned dwarf warrior like yourself is unable to withstand the hot weather," she teased.

"The only reason I bring it up m' lady is that I fear you will tire, and we can't have that," Kili admonished her.

"M' lord, elves do not tire that easily," Tauriel fired back jauntily.

Kili laughed out loud at that. "There's a lake up ahead. It's rather small, but there are some shade trees where we can relax."

"Thorin will be expecting us back from our journey to Mirkwood this afternoon," she pointed out. Though the King Under the Mountain tolerated Tauriel, he had no great compassion for her. She did not want to do anything to destroy the tentative peace they had made between them.

"We don't have to stop long," Kili told her. "We will just take a bit to cool off."

Tauriel sighed. "Kili, we really do not have time." As she spoke the words the lake came into view around a bend in the road. The sunlight sparkled off its crystal clear waters and trees lined the bank providing ample shade. All in all, it looked quite pleasant, and Tauriel was sorely tempted to rein in her horse.

Kili pulled his horse to a stop and slid from the saddle, a happy grin firmly in place. He tethered his horse to the branch of a nearby tree and looked up at Tauriel. "We will not stay long," he told her once again.

The she-elf shook her head. "No, Kili, your uncle barely accepts me as it is, and I will do nothing to hinder any progress I have made with him."

Kili sighed. "It will not be the same without you."

"Then just wait until we have time to go to one of the lakes outside of the city. We can enjoy swimming there. Perhaps Fili and some of the others would even go with us. We could make a grand day of it."

Kili shook his head before shucking down to his underclothes beneath his trousers and jumping into the water with a happy shout. He ducked beneath the surface and rose, pushing his soaking wet dark hair back from his face. Water droplets glistened on his broad chest and rivulets ran down his face to drip off of his chin. "It feels great, Tauriel. You do not know what you are missing."

Tauriel smothered a chuckle and slid down from her horse, tying him to the branch next to Kili's steed. She had to admit that the water looked tempting, especially now that Kili was in it, bare chested and laughing. She moved to the edge of the bank and shaded her eyes from the sun to stare at the dwarf prince.

Kili waded into the shallows at the edge of the pond, the water barely coming to his knees. He reached out and gripped the elf's ankle, giving a quick yank. Tauriel could have caught herself, but the mischief on Kili's face was too hard to resist. She allowed herself to tumble forward into the shallows.

The she-elf landed on her knees, soaking her leggings and her sleeves along with the bottom part of her tunic. "Kili!" she shouted in mock anger.

The dwarf prince knew her well and could tell that she wasn't truly angry. "You will be more comfortable later if your clothes are not completely wet. Why don't you lose some of those layers?" His voice took on a hopeful tone and he winked at her.

Tauriel chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she rose to her feet, water dripping from her. She stepped up onto the bank and finally made up her mind, quickly slipping off her outer garments.

Kili's eyes widened as she turned to him wearing only her undergarments before wading gracefully into the lake. He held out his hands and she took them, moving to stand in front of him until they were waist deep in water. Kili let go of her hands to let his grip move down to just above her hips. He pulled her close until they were touching.

Tauriel swallowed hard at the feel of Kili's skin against hers. They had never been this intimate before. She gazed into his chocolate eyes and felt herself being drawn into the depths by the emotion she saw there.

"Tauriel, you are so beautiful" he murmured softly, his thumbs stroking the soft skin of her waist. "I love you more than all of the gold in Erebor." His cheeks flushed lightly at his words.

The she-elf's breath caught in her throat. "And I love you, my handsome dwarf prince," she smiled, leaning forward to rub her nose against his.

Kili took the opportunity to capture her lips with his own, caressing them softly and then deepening the kiss. Tauriel sighed into his mouth and allowed her hands to rest against the solid planes of his chest.

They spent the next hour that way, kissing, touching, and exploring until they climbed out of the lake to stretch out in the soft grass and dry in the sun's warm rays.  
Kili sprawled onto the grass next to his elf and tangled his fingers with hers. Glancing over, he frowned.

"What is it?" she asked lazily, the heat of the sun making her sleepy.

"Your hair," he told her. "It has come out of his braids. Sit up and let me fix it for you."  
Tauriel did as he asked, sitting up and turning her back to him.

Kili rummaged in his pack for a comb before returning to Tauriel's side and untangling the clasps from her hair. He gently worked the tangles out of her long red tresses so as not to cause her any pain. Then, in quiet concentration, he began to braid.

Tauriel sat in silence, soaking in the calmness of the lake and the beauty of the trees. It was sometime later when she felt Kili hook the final clasp into her hair and sit back to survey his work. She reached a hand up and frowned. The braids were different.  
"Kili," she murmured softly, "these are not my courting braids."

He shook his head. "No, I thought I'd try something different."

Tauriel continued to finger the braids. "And the clasps are different."

"Aye, I made them for you," the dwarf prince told her, holding out an extra one to her in the palm of his hand.

She took one and examined it carefully. "This is the insignia of the line of Durin." Tauriel looked up and eyed Kili suspiciously. "These new braids, do they stand for something?"

He nodded and reached out to take her hands in his own. "These braids show that a woman is spoken for, betrothed to another."

Tauriel's eyes widened in surprise. "Kili," she breathed, her stomach coiling in excitement and nerves.

"I-I hope, I mean, I would be honored if you would be my wife, Tauriel. I know we will face opposition from every direction, but I love you." Kili cleared his throat anxiously when she didn't answer right away. "I can take them out if-"

"No!" she cut him off and then continued quickly at the hurt expression on his face. He thought she was refusing his proposal. "No, do not take them out." A smile bloomed on her face as she squeezed his hands tightly in hers. "I love you, Kili, and I wish everyone to know that I am your betrothed."

A huge smile spread across the dwarf prince's face and he pressed his mouth to Tauriel's in a heated kiss. When he pulled back, he gave her a sheepish look. "Thorin knows that we will be late today. He knows I planned on asking you to become my betrothed."

Tauriel's mouth fell open slightly in shock. "And he did not protest?"

Kili sighed. "He tried to make me see what he called 'reason,' but when he could not sway me, he realized that he had to accept this relationship between us. He is not happy, although he does say that of all the elves he has met, you are the one he could come the closest to liking."

Tauriel laughed out loud. "Coming from Thorin that is high praise indeed."

Kili stood and held out his hand to the she-elf. "Come. I cannot wait to return to Erebor and show you off as my betrothed." He helped Tauriel to her feet and pulled her into a quick embrace. He couldn't wait until she was no longer his betrothed, but his bride.

Author's Note: There will be one more short chapter before this fic is complete.


	3. Kiriel

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit. It belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson.

Special thanks to LadyWallace for reading over this for me.

The Art of Braiding

Part 3 Kiriel

The little red-haired child scrunched up her nose and pressed her face against the window. "When is Da coming?" she asked with a sigh.

"Soon, Kiri," Tauriel smiled as she tucked her fussing son to her breast for his breakfast. He was only two days old, but already a healthy eater.

"Da has been gone ever so long," Kiriel sighed dramatically. She turned to her mother and shoved her messy red locks behind her ears. "I miss him."

Tauriel felt her mouth quirk up at the corners. Kili and his daughter had shared a special bond from the moment she'd been born. The little imp had captured her da's heart with her very first cry. "He will be here soon, Kiri. Da only went to see Uncle Thorin."

At that moment, the front door opened and Kili stepped inside. "Da!" Kiriel threw herself at him and Kili tossed her up into the air. She crowed with laughter and begged, "Again! Again!"

Tauriel shifted her son to her shoulder for a burp and watched father and daughter play together as she arranged her clothing to cover herself. Kiri had her mother's red hair, but her dark eyes and her smile were all Kili. The child was a bit tall and slender for a dwarf, but she wore the height well.

"Mother, did you see me and Da?" the child asked happily.

"Aye, I did," Tauriel assured her.

Kili looked at his eldest with a critical eye. "Go get dressed and then I will braid your hair. Uncle Fili is coming to take you to breakfast with Grandmother Dis."

Kiri clapped her hands and raced to her bedroom full of excitement. Uncle Fili was one of her most favorite people and she loved having breakfast with her grandmother.

Kili turned to his wife, brushing a tender kiss to her lips. "Hello, love," he murmured. "Are you sure I cannot talk you into staying in bed another day?" He stroked a gentle hand over his son's head of dark hair before placing a kiss to the crown of the infant's head.

"Kili, I am fine," Tauriel assured him. "Our son is healthy and strong as am I."

"Fili and Mum wanted to make sure you had a bit more time to rest. That is why they will have Kiri this morning."

Little feet sounded in the hallway and Kili grinned as his daughter appeared before him. Her leggings were on, but twisted and she was still struggling to find one armhole of her tunic. Her free hand was grasping a comb and several hair clasps.

Kili soon had his daughter's clothing set right and then reached for the comb. "Your hair looks like birds have built a nest in it."

Kiri giggled. "Da!"

"No, really, I met someone once who had a nest on his head and birds lived in it," Kili reiterated as he sat in a chair and tugged his daughter to stand before him.

Kiri turned around to press a kiss to her father's cheek. "You are funny, Da."

Kili's eyes sparkled with mirth. "Turn around and let me braid your hair, Kiriel," he told his daughter. "Uncle Fili will be here soon."

"I hope Uncle Fee gives me a ride on his shoulders," Kiri told her da as she bounced with excitement.

"Not today, little princess," Kili told her. "Today you are wearing the braids of a true princess of the line of Durin. You must walk properly next to your uncle on the way to Grandmother's."

Kiriel went still in front of her father. "The braids of a princess?" she asked, turning to look at Kili with wide eyes.

"Aye," he smiled. "You are growing up. Your grandmother will be so proud when she sees you."

Tauriel met Kili's eyes and they shared a private look. It was hard to believe their daughter was old enough for this moment.

Kili's fingers deftly began to weave his daughter's hair into elegant braids that crisscrossed the back of her head. She didn't fidget, only handed him the clasps when he reached for them. "There," he smiled proudly, sitting back when he was done.

"It looks lovely, Kiri," Tauriel told her daughter proudly.

"Thank you, Mum," the child chirped, wiggling happily. A knock on the door made Kiri jump. "It's Uncle Fee!" She ran to answer it.

"I hope the braids will last until Mother sees them," Kili chuckled, casting a grin at his wife.

"I imagine you were much the same at her age. You still cannot keep your hair braided for more than half a moment," Tauriel told him cheekily.

Kili couldn't contain his laugh. "You are right love." He stood and slipped an arm around her slender waist, peering at his slumbering son.

"Unce Fee!" Kiriel shouted, throwing herself into Fili's arms.

The dwarf prince hoisted her onto his hip, his eyes widening when he caught sight of her braids. "Look at you, lass! I will feel mighty special walking by your side on the way to Grandmother's."

Kiri beamed as her uncle put her down. "I hope she likes my braids."

"She will," Fili assured her. He crossed the room to get a peek at his nephew. "I do believe he has already grown," he told the proud parents.

"Aye" Kili assured him. "He's a hungry little bugger."

"You look beautiful, Tauriel," Fili told the new mother, leaning up to press a kiss to his sister-in-law's cheek.

"Thank you, Fili," she smiled. Kili's brother had become a close friend and a brother to her as well.

"Now," the blonde dwarf prince said as he turned to Kiri, "are you ready, little princess?"

"Yes, Uncle Fee!" She slipped her small hand trustingly into his.

"We will be back in a few hours," Fili told his brother and Tauriel. "Get some rest."

"Bye, Da! Bye, Mum!" Kiri called as she skipped beside Fili out of the door. She had definitely inherited her father's boundless energy.

Kili took his wife's hand and led her to their bedroom. "Give me the small lad," he told her. "You get in bed and get a bit more rest until Kiri returns."

"Only if you join me," Tauriel told her husband as she kicked off her boots and stretched out on the bed.

Kili tucked their son into his cradle, put his boots beside his wife's, and joined her in bed. "I love you, Tauriel," he murmured into her neck as they curled together. "Thank you for our children."

Her fingers reached out to stroke through his tangled, dark tresses. "It took the two of us, my love," she chuckled with a slight yawn.

"Sleep, Tauriel," he told her. "Our son will soon wake and Kiri will be back before we know it."

"Mm," she hummed into his hair.

Kili smiled as her breathing began to even out. He had never dreamed such happiness existed until Tauriel had come into his life. Now their children made their little family complete. "I love you," he whispered once again before joining his wife in slumber.

The End


End file.
